Lagos Hospital Under Fire as Family Alleges Scissors Left in Patient’s Body

A family in Lagos State has accused a private hospital of medical negligence following the death of a 44-year-old woman, Blessing Okolie, who reportedly died after complications arising from a fibroid surgery.

The deceased’s sister, Beady Nnanna, a media personality and publisher, alleged that a surgical instrument (scissors) was mistakenly left in her sister’s abdomen during the procedure, leading to a deterioration in her condition and eventual death.

Blessing, who had been battling fibroids for years, was said to have undergone a myomectomy on March 28, 2026, at a private medical facility in the Abule Egba area of Lagos. According to Nnanna, the surgery initially appeared successful, but complications set in days later.

She explained that her sister began to complain of persistent abdominal pain shortly after the operation, which worsened despite repeated assurances from the attending doctor that there was no cause for concern.

Nnanna alleged that her requests for further medical investigations, particularly a scan, were repeatedly dismissed by the hospital. However, after nearly a week of persistent complaints and worsening symptoms, a scan was eventually conducted at an external facility.

“The result showed that there was a metal object in her abdomen. That was when I realised something had gone terribly wrong,” she said.

Following the discovery, the patient was reportedly taken back to the hospital, where a second surgery was performed to remove the object. Despite the procedure, her condition did not improve, as she continued to experience severe complications, including infection.

Nnanna further alleged that her sister was kept without adequate care for days and that the hospital failed to promptly refer her to a better-equipped medical facility.

She said, “I kept asking them to refer us to a bigger hospital, but they insisted she would be fine. At some point, her condition became critical, and we had to move her ourselves in the middle of the night without proper medical support.”

The patient was later taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, where she was admitted for emergency care. However, she reportedly died shortly after arrival despite efforts to revive her.

The family claimed to have spent over N2m on surgeries, medications, and tests across both hospitals before her death.

Calling for justice, Nnanna urged relevant authorities to investigate the incident and sanction those found culpable. She also called for the closure of the hospital to prevent similar occurrences.

“My sister is gone, but I don’t want this to happen to anyone else. The government needs to step in and take action,” she said.

Reacting to the allegations, the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Abiodun Ojifinni, confirmed that the deceased underwent fibroid surgery at the facility but maintained that complications arose days later.

He noted that the hospital managed the patient’s condition before she was referred to LASUTH at the insistence of the family, adding that the exact cause of death would be determined through an ongoing autopsy.

“There were complications of sepsis after the surgery. We believe it is best to await the outcome of the coroner’s inquest, which will provide the most accurate cause of death,” he said.

Ojifinni also cautioned against drawing premature conclusions, stating that the hospital would fully cooperate with investigations.

As of the time of filing this report, the family disclosed that the matter had been reported to the police, while awaiting the outcome of the autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.